


Defog

by Jersey_Jimmy



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Romance, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25964782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jersey_Jimmy/pseuds/Jersey_Jimmy
Summary: As the events of the weather crisis race through her mind, Winona receives a surprise visitor late in the night. Will he help her clear her head, or will he only make the fog worse?
Relationships: Mikuri | Wallace/Nagi | Winona
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	Defog

Winona was starting to lose track of how long she’d been draped across the couch.

A glance towards the window confirmed it was late into the night, and she’d long since tuned out whatever was on the television. Even when she was paying attention, it was merely an attempt to distract herself from the horror movie playing on repeat in her mind - a futile one.

Every time she thought back to the weather crisis, it was as if she was being transported back in time. She could still feel the intense heat radiating off Groudon’s titanic frame, as well as the torrential downpour brought by Kyogre wherever it went. Then... there was that Tentacruel, its venomous tentacles squeezing the life out of her. The pain throughout her body still lingered, and it felt as if it would never vanish.

She failed. That was the worst part. She gave everything she could to defend her home... and she still ended up broken and defeated.

“...I’d probably be dead if he hadn’t stepped in,” she mused aloud, nobody save for one of her Swablu around to hear. “Can’t even take on a pair of eco-terrorist lunatics without becoming the princess he has to save... gods, he couldn’t even do _that._ ”

Winona heaved a sigh, falling back into silent contemplation... that is, until she heard a knock at her door. She looked towards it, then to the clock on the wall - 4:22 in the morning. Why anyone would visit her at that time escaped her, but feeling as if she had no other option, the gym leader slowly rose from her sofa and trudged towards the door.

Her worst fears were confirmed once she peered through the peephole. Of _course_ it had to be him.

She wasn’t exactly sure why, then, she proceeded to open the door for him; he was the last person she wanted to see right then. Despite that, though... it felt like the right thing to do. “Why are you here, Wallace?”

“I’ve been trying to call you. I was starting to get worried, so... decided I’d come out and see if you were alright.” He reached his hand out, seemingly intending to rest it upon Winona’s shoulder; she jerked away before he got the chance, though a surge of pain shot through her body as she did. “Winona, dear... why are you acting like this?”

“Why haven’t you learned to take a hint?” she snapped back. As she glared up at him, she couldn’t help but notice the beauty-tarnishing scars on his face, likely as harrowing a reminder of the crisis as possible for someone like him. “Wallace, you need to stop with this ‘knight in shining armor’ charade. The crisis is over, and I think I’ve made it clear that I don’t want to talk about... _us..._ right now. I haven’t _wanted_ to talk about us in a while.”

Wallace frowned, folding his arms. “You really should refrain from assuming. All I wanted is to see how your recovery is coming along.”

“Bullshit. We both know there’s more to it than that.” He was only making her angry now, evidenced by her harshening tone; her Swablu flew off, fearful of the argument becoming explosive. “Don’t you remember why I broke it off? Haven’t you learned _anything?_ I’m sick of you trying to help me do everything like you’re my goddamn babysitter. That stunt you pulled, dropping down to become Sootopolis’ gym leader... gods, it’s like you thought I couldn’t handle being supervisor myself.”

“No. That’s what _you_ thought.”

Winona’s expression softened to one of puzzlement. “What are... what are you talking about?” The way she saw it, he was all set to spew some half-baked pseudo-philosophy at her in a desperate hope she’d fall for it - and him. Yeah, that was probably it. Maybe.

“You’re the one accusing me of thinking a way I don’t. At no point was I trying to help you with anything because I thought you weren’t capable... in fact, you’re quite possibly the most capable person I’ve ever met.”

Wallace reached out to rest his hand on Winona’s shoulder again... and this time, she made no move to stop him.

“You’ve been like this ever since you became supervisor. I admit, I may have been a tad clingy in the past... but that has nothing to do with your performance. You’ve been doing a great job. The stress is just getting to you.”

Before responding, Winona took a deep breath... the confrontation seemed to be calming down, and the last thing she wanted was to blow up at him. “You... have a point. Injury leave’s given me time to reflect on it, and... I really was overworking myself, even before the crisis.” She shook her head. “I’m... I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting towards you... but I still don’t know if-”

“You don’t need to decide now,” Wallace interrupted. “And if you wish to move on, that’s fine. I just... can’t bear to see you beating yourself up so much. I care about you... a lot. I hope you know that.”

“...I care about you, too.”

A smile crossed the Champion’s face, and he briefly brought Winona in for a hug before turning back towards the door. “Well, if that’s all, then I guess I should-”

“Wallace... wait.”

Winona’s call got him to stop before he could leave... though, at the same time, she gave herself Beautiflies in her stomach. “This, erm... may seem a bit out of the blue... but since you came all the way out here, you can stay for a little while. If you want.”

A few moments passed before she got her answer, coming in the form of Wallace turning back around and taking her hands in his. “If you’re sure... I’d love that.”

* * *

Before she knew it, Winona was watching the sun rise above Fortree’s towering treetops through her bedroom window.

Wallace was lying beside her.

It was a surreal experience, having him in her bed once again. They hadn’t actually done anything - it was far, far too early for her to even be considering it - but his mere presence baffled her. Like she never expected this to happen again.

“...Wallace?”

Half-asleep, Wallace rolled over to face Winona. He’d allowed his hair, normally painstakingly groomed, to become an untamed mess; Winona hadn’t seen it so unkempt in years. “You need something?”

“I just wanted to ask you... how often do you think back to the crisis? Because... I can’t seem to get it out of my head.” Winona focused not on Wallace’s eyes as he turned to her, but the scars on his forehead. “Like... when you look in the mirror... does it bring back memories?”

“...I don’t exactly remember much of it clearly, you know. Having your head slammed against rocks repeatedly doesn’t exactly help.” He noticed where she was looking and promptly reached a hand up to his hair, brushing it over the scars. “But... yes, I think about it quite a bit. Mostly in brief flashes, but... I don’t think I’ve gone a week without doing so.”

“...I see. Honestly, I... almost envy you... for me, it’s hard to get from breakfast to lunch without thinking about it.”

Winona shifted onto her back, looking up towards the ceiling; her Swablu had perched upon the unmoving fan. “It... feels like it’s my fault.”

“How so?”

“...I should have dedicated more time to researching Aqua and Magma. I feel like I didn’t take them nearly as seriously as I should’ve at first... I mean, it’s one of my jobs as supervisor to watch for threats to the region... and... and now look where we are. Rebuilding efforts aren’t even _close_ to done, and...”

Wallace noticed the trembling in her voice becoming more pronounced, and squeezed her hand in an attempt to calm her. “Winona...”

If nothing else, she stopped short of descending into full-on sobbing. As she calmed herself, Wallace gently wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her close.

“...I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I... just feel like I could’ve done more.”

“You did all you could. That’s what matters.”

Wallace looked down at her, the faintest of smiles on his lips. “I remember when the Chairman gave you the go-ahead to head out to the front lines... I don’t think anyone else in the entire League would’ve reacted with the enthusiasm you did.”

A faint pink glow overtook Winona’s cheeks as she looked up towards the Champion. “Are you saying you’re... that you admired that? Because, I mean... look where it got us...”

“That’s not the point. The point is... when you got the chance to go out and fight for your region, you took it without a second thought. There’s a lot of people who’d shy away from such a task... and I wouldn’t blame them in the slightest. But... you’re willing to throw yourself into harm’s way to defend the things you love. And... I admire that a lot.”

Slowly, the gym leader smiled. It was small, but it showed how much she appreciated his words. “Thank you.” Soon, though, the smile faded away. “And... thank you for... standing down. When they had me.”

Wallace nodded, allowing himself to sink back into the mattress. He pulled Winona just a bit closer. “Of course. A reckless attack certainly would’ve ended poorly for both of us... I couldn’t take a risk like that. Especially... especially not with you.”

“I appreciate it. After all, I suppose... everything worked out in the end, hm?”

“That’s true... we really do owe those kids everything. To think Ruby had been hanging onto...” Wallace’s voice trailed off... and he quietly chuckled to himself. “...well, we can ponder over the details some other time.”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Winona teasingly chirped. “He _is_ your protégé, isn’t he?”

“I-I suppose, but how do I casually ask him how he managed to obtain-”

“Calm down, Wallace... we don’t have to worry about it right now.” Winona nestled her head into the crook of Wallace’s shoulder, exhaling a blissful sigh. “Mm... you don’t mind if we stay like this a little longer, do you?”

Perhaps it was the result of Winona’s reassuring voice, or even simply her mere presence, but... Wallace did, in fact, calm down. “...of course I don’t mind,” he whispered. Then, after a brief pause, the Champion added, “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“Thank you as well. And... before I forget...” Suddenly, Winona pushed her lips against Wallace’s; he happily accepted the kiss, which Winona would hold for significantly longer than she’d planned.

Once she pulled away, the gym leader returned to lying beside him, whispering one last thing before allowing herself to drift back off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> wrote most of this a couple years ago for a short story contest on Bulbagarden, then it slipped from my mind before I could finish the rest. hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
